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Thursday, April 3, 2014

Book Review: PRISONER JAILOR PRIME MINISTER

Author – Tabrik C

Publisher – Hachette India

Pages – 319

Price – Rs 350

About the Author:

Tabrik C is a political enthusiast, perfumer and internet entrepreneur. He has a post-graduate degree in History from St. Stephen’s College Delhi, where he was the president of the student’s union. His special interest lies in observing, analyzing, predicting and debating the rise and fall of political personalities and their influence on the destiny of nations and individuals.

Plot:
3.5/5

India is on edge as a
subversive internal revolt against the Constitution, and the threat of Jehadi
terror of an unthinkable level, are looming on the horizon.

Ringing Shiva’s damaru in and out of
Parliament, a sudden turn of karma catapults outsider Siddhartha Tagore – a
conflicted genius, music maestro and prodigal son, with forceful views on China
and Pakistan – into national prominence as the head of the Opposition Alliance
and finally as the newly elected Prime Minister of disturbed nation. But buried
secrets are being resurrected and threaten to expose the past.

The novel
narrates the story of Siddhartha Tagore’s journey from being a prodigious
musician and Harvard student, to the dark alleys of power in the 7 Race Course
Road- the official seat of the Indian Prime Minister.

Being the
son of a politician, he was always surrounded by the scents and perks of power.
No wonder, the politicians easily woo
him to follow the footsteps of his father.

Character
Sketch: 4/5

Tabrik C has
sketched his characters brilliantly. Each one amazes you with the myriad shades
of their character. The characters linger in your mind long after the story has
ended.

Siddhartha Tagore:
He has charisma and a pedigree to match. Either you hate him or you love
him. He can turn an alien crowd into his
fans through his music. Nevertheless, blessed with a dangerous mind that drives
even friends insane, he makes you cry foul.

Rubaya and Karishma Jaykar: Twin sisters who are poles apart, each a
carbon copy of the other in looks. Endearing and revolting equally, they lends
colour to the plot. The inspiration for music,
love and adrenaline rush.

Gregory Templar : A Greek god in looks department and a
very confused crusader who worships Che Guevara and Charlie Chaplin, but dreams
to be the Pope someday. He is the source of the few laughs that the book has to
offer.

Rugmani Devi: Director of the Delhi School of economics and Nobel prize-
winning –think-tank, she is unbound by party and has marked her own path,
respected and feared in the corridors of power.

Professor
Gordon Thorbon: A
genius, the second brain of Rugmani Devi, conveniently uses the ignorance of
others to pursue his goals. Creepy person..

Krish
Rathore : The officer on
Special Duty to the President of India, a handsome young man. Unfathomable and
intriguing…

Kabir
Jaykar: Son of
Karishma Jaykar, adds intrigue and suspense in the second part of the book.

Vikram
Jaykar, Shanti Jaykar, Akbar Shah, Pema Tashi, Lok Neta, the President are some other
characters who are cleverly etched to bring in intrigue and move the story forward.

Writing Style: 4/5

Tabrik’s
writing style is fresh and unique. He switches between the past, present, places
and ideas with ease. Set in a time-period of 1985 to 2017, the author involves
the readers through the ups and down in the life of the protagonist without losing
the thread of the narrative.

Packed with
action in the short and well-written 79 chapters, the book races to conclusion
in two separate sections. I personally found the second part fast paced and
dark compared to the first part.

The narration
vibes well with the symphony 40 Amadeus, the favorite music of Siddhartha
Tagore, which evokes grief, passion and violence. The author uses the reference
to music effectively to speak the thoughts of Siddhartha who has music weaved
intricately into his DNA. Phantom cymbals
that clash in his head, Night music and
symphony No.40 Amadeus that begins
playing in moments of intrigue, all shows the brilliant use of music in
narration.

The changing
first person, third person POV also adds to the mystery.

Tabrik. C,
has made a spectacular debut with Prisoner Jailor Prime minister. The title itself
conveys the three personas that Siddhartha Tagore takes on in life. He is a Prime Minister who is the Prisonerof the demons of his past
and his unique physical condition (Bipolar disorder) and a Jailor to
the wrongdoers.

The only
thing that miffed me was that the women characters are weak with lots of shades
of grey. Even Rugmani Devi, the lady who is projected as the formidable
opponent to Siddhartha is clumsy and creates quite a scene on her debut in
parliament while Siddhartha dazzles everyone with his charisma.

Verdict: 4.5/5 Prisoner Jailor Prime Minister is a bound to be booklover’s treasure. Pick it up to enjoy a
heady dose of politics, love, music and above all the finality of fate.

Very well
done Mr. Tabrik! We expect more such treats from you.

Dear reader,
I leave you now to savor the melody of Symphony No.40 amadeus, which will prepare
you for what you have in store in Prisoner Jailor Prime Minister - A roller-coaster ride of grief, passion and
violence.